Plastic lid applicator and method



970 P. SCHLAPKOHL 3,523,355 7 I PLASTIC LID APPLICATOR AND METHOD 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7. 1968 PETE/2 Jam/ 1am BY ww'fl Arne/vi):

Aug. 11, 1970 P. SCHLAPKOHL PLASTIC LID APPLICATOR AND METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7. 1968 INVENTOR. P572? ja-rmpzom IT70NEY5 Aug. 11, 1970 P. SCHLAPKOHL PLASTIC LID APPLICATOR AND METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb.

INVENTOR. P5754 JCHMPAOHL lffdi/VEYJ United States Patent Olfice 3,523,355 Patented Aug. 11, 1970 3,523,355 PLASTIC LID APPLICATOR AND METHOD Peter Schlapkohl, 1610 Armstrong Ave., San Francisco, Calif. 94124 Filed Feb. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 703,734 Int. Cl. B23p 11/02, 19/04; B65b 56/00 US. Cl. 29-450 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pair of parallel rollers inclined relative to horizontal support and rotate a row of circular, correspondingly positioned flanged, plastic lids for downward movement axially of the row to the lower ends of said rollers. Means supports and guides cans on their sides for downward movement, successively past the lower end lid of said row thereof, with each can positioned to engage the flange on said end lid to remove it from said row thereof, and to thereafter fully apply the lid to each can.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION For many years it has been the common practice in the art of applying circular, disc-like plastic lids onto one of the ends of cylindrical cans to support a generally horizontally extending row of the lids on a pair of rollers rotating in the same direction, but slightl inclined relative to horizontal, for spinning the lids about the axis of the row and for movement of the row to the lower ends of the rollers, at which end a dispensing means of one kind or the other, removes the caps, in succession, from the lower end of the row thereof and transfers each cap so removed to a capping station, or position, for engagement with one end of a cylindrical can, and the cap so engaging a can is pressed onto said one end of the latter.

By the foregoing method, and type of lid applicator, the speed of applying the lids is relatively slow as com pared with the speed attained by the present invention, and the dispensing means between the capping means and supporting means is subject to frequent malfunctioning, as well as delay in the time period between the removal of the lids from the supporting means and the application of the lids to the cans. Some dispensing means require a suction means to remove the end lid of a row for engagement by a can, others require mechanical means and others a combination of air pressure and mechanical means.

By the present invention there is no dispensing means, in that each can directly engages the end lid of a row of spinning lids while the can is rotating in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the lids, and as the rotating cans successively move in a path extending past the lower end of the row of spinning cans with the leading lid in engagement with the can, the lid is progressively spun onto the rotating can.

By the present invention, over three hundred lids per minute are readily applied to cans as distinguished from approximately two hundred by prior devices.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the lid applicator.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary, cross-sectional view approximately along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 33 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view at the lid take-off point.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION A frame, generally designated 1 (FIG. 1) includes a generally horizontally extending frame member 2 in the form of an inverted, generally U-shaped channel strip, adapted to be supported by legs 3 at its ends. This frame member is inclined downwardly from one end, which latter end will be called hereafter the rear end, while the opposite end will be called the forward end.

A roller supporting rear plate 4 on the rear end of the frame member 2 extends upwardly therefrom and perpendicular thereto, and a roller supporting forward member 5 is rigidly secured to the forward end of the frame member 2 and projects upwardly therefrom, but is inclined forwardly at its upper end relative to perpendicular to frame member 2.

The rear plate 4 is preferably in one piece and is substantially shorter, in height, than the forward supporting member 5, and vertical marginal portions 6 of said member 5 are substantially thicker than the intermediate portion of member 5 in a forward direction (FIG. 3) providing side walls 6 of a forwardly opening inclined channel, with the part between sides 6 forming the bottom 7 of said channel.

The bottom 7 terminates at its lower end at a point 8 (FIG. 5) spaced a substantial distance above the lower terminal end of the supporting member 5 while the side walls 6 continue downward to the frame member 2 to which said lower ends are secured.

The forward roller supporting member 5 also functions as a guide for the cans 9 that are to have the plastic caps applied thereto, the chimes at the end of the can onto which the cap is to be applied is rolled downwardly between side walls 6 with the chime against one of said side walls 6 (FIG. 3) and substantially against the bottom wall 7 with the axis of the can substantially perpendicular to said bottom wall, as will later be explained more in detail.

T A pair of parallel rollers 10 (FIG. 2) in spaced sideby-side relation and at substantially the same inclination as the frame member 2 (FIG. 1) are rotatably supported at their rear ends by rear plate 4 and at their forward endsby the forward roller supporting member 5.

The rollers 10 support therein a stack of circular plastic can lids 11 (FIGS. 1, 5) on its side, for spinning said lids as a unit, about an axis parallel with the axes of said rollers, and for consequent downward movement of the stack or row of lids, upon rotating said rollers in the same direction.

A motor 13 (FIG. 1) carried by frame 1 adjacent to the upper ends of rollers 10 drives a pulle 14 over which a belt 15 extends, and which belt also extends over a pulley 16 on the upper end of each roller 10 to drive said rollers in the same direction.

Referring to the can guiding means at the forward end of the machine, as has already been explained, the forward roller supporting member 5 functions as a guide for one end of each can, and spaced forwardly therefrom and parallel therewith are a pair of upstanding parallel angle cross strips 17 (FIGS. 1, 3) disposed with one of their legs 18 planar and extending toward each other, and the other legs 19 projecting toward the forward roller supporting member 5. The strips 17 are parallel with the member 5 and the opposed surfaces of legs 18 spaced apart the same distances as walls 6 of supporting member 5.

Round rods 20 of a pair thereof are respectively secured to (and parallel with, the sides of the legs 19 that face the member 5 and the distance between these rods and the bottom 7 of member 5 is approximately equal to the length of each can 9, so that cans fed into the space between rods 20 and bottom 7, at the upper ends of member 5 and strips 17 and between side walls 6 and 19 will move downwardly between member 5 and strips' 17 with their axes perpendicular to the plane of bottom wall 6 of member 5.

Angle strips 17 are rigid with a forward plate 23 (FIG. 1) that, in turn, is rigidly secured at its lower end to the frame member 2.

It is obvious that the channel strips 17 and the plate 23 may be integral, similar to the forward roller supporting member 5, except preferably of less width and lighter construction, and rods 20 may be ridges similar to the pair of'ridges 24 formed on the forward face of the bottom 7 of member 5. The ridges so provided decrease frictional resistance to rotation of the cans, yet function to position the cans against substantial endwise movemerit.

Cans 9, so fed between the upper ends of member 5 and the pair of strips 17 are positively rolled downwardly past the lower end of bottom wall against one of the walls 6 and 18 by means of an endless belt 25 (FIGS. 1, 3), the latter extending over upper and lower pulleys 26 on shafts that are rotatably supported in bearings 27 carried by the frame of the machine, including member 5 (FIG. 5). Said belt is parallel with the member 5 and is preferably positioned so that the outwardly facing surface of one of the vertical runs of the belt engages one of the lateral sides of the cans adjacent to the ends of the latter that are between the guide walls 6 of member 5 for yieldably urging the cans at their ends against one of said walls 6 and against one leg 19 of the pair of angle strips 17 (FIG. 3). The engagement of belt 25 with the portion of each can between walls 6 insures against canting of the can ends relative to the path of travel of the cans.

Belt 25 is preferably of the type providing relatively soft friction surfaces, as compared with metal, for frictionally engaging the cans to roll them against one of the surfaces 6 and one of the legs 19 without marking the cans, the chimes 28 on the cans being in engagement with said one of said surfaces and with said one of said legs 19.

A shaft 29 (FIGS. 1, 5) having a universal joint 30 therein (FIG. 5) connects the lower pulley 26 with a pulley 33 (FIG. 1) at the rear end of the shaft 29. Belt extends over pulley 33 to drive the shaft 29 and belt 25.

The direction of movement of the belt 25 is such that the direction of rotation of cans 9 is in the same direction as the rotation of the lids 11.

The can lids 11 are conventional, being of flexible plastic material of sufficient rigidity to be self-supporting as to shape, and being resilient. An annular flange 34 (FIG. 4) is around the outer edge of each circular lid which flange is slightly inclined transversely thereof toward the central axis of the lid, and this flange is of sufficient width to extend past the chime 28 at one end of each can 9, and to engage the side of the can adjacent to said chime when the face of the lid 11 enclosed within the annular flange engages the axially outer surface of the chime 28.

The outer side of the lid is formed with an axially outwardly facing annular ridge 35 that is spaced radially inwardly from the circular outer edge of the lid 11.

When a row of the lids 11 are stacked the axially outer surface of each flange 34 engages the outer surface of the adjacent lid radially outwardly of ridge 35, thus the ridges hold the lids adjacent thereto substantially in axial 4 the rollers 31 of the lower pair is slightly less than th outside diameterof flanges 34. Each of the rollers 36,37 includes a radially outwardly projecting flange 38 (FIGS. 2, 4) on the side adjacent to the member 5, and these flanges engage the axially forwardly facing surface or edge of the leading or forward end lid of the stack so the stack of lids will rotate freely Without separation when the end lid engages the flanges 38 of said rollers 36, 37. The leading end lid of the stack cannot fall due to the position of lower rollers 37 which engage the radially outwardly facing surface of the flange 34 of the leading lid 11. Also, ridge 35 is within each flange 34.

The terminal lower edge of bottom wall 7 of the plate 5 extends horizontally across the lower axially facing end lid 11 of the stack about 'at the level of, but slightly below, the axis of the stack of lids (FIGS. 4, 5) and the rearwardly-directed face 39 (FIG. 2) of said bottom wall is slanted upwardly andrearwardly from said edge .8 to be substantially parallel with the plane in which the lower end lid is positioned, and when said lower end lid engages flanges 38 of rollers 36, 37, said end lid has moved ofl? the lower ends of rollers 10 and the lower portion of flange 34 of said lid projects directly into the path of the chime 28 of a downwardly-moving can 9 (FIG. 4) so that said chime will enter the projecting lower portion of the lid inside the flange 34 to positively move the end lid downwardly and off the adjacent end lid of the stack as the can rolls downwardly, the last-mentioned lid being supported on the upper edge of a stationary holding plate 40 (FIGS. 4, 5) while the end can 9 is moved downwardly.

The upper linear contour of plate 40 is centrally concave (FIG. 2) and preferably corresponds to the convex curvature of the radially'outer surface of flange 34, while the forward upper corner of said edge is rounded slightly (FIG. 4) so as not to interfere with downward movement of the flange 34 on the end lid.

Below the holding' plate 40 is a row of lid-applying idler rollers 43, extending horizontally across the rear side of the downward path of cans, and the foremost faces of these rollers and the forward face of the holding plate 40 are in a plane that is parallel with the forward face of bottom wall 7 but offset rearwardly a sufficient distance to allow for the thickness of the end lid when the latter is pulled downward by a can.

The simultaneous rotation of the end lid and can in the same direction as the can is moved downwardly results in the lid being quickly spun onto the end of the can and the lid is positively drawn downwardly between and past rollers 37, the flange being squeezed slightly or deformed to pass the rollers, but until positively drawn between the rollers the end lid will remain coaxial with the stack.

Rollers 43 may be rotatably supported at their ends in a pair of opposed plates 44 (FIG. 5) that are bolted or screwed to the lower ends of the flanges or marginal portions 6 of members 5. These rollers press a lid 11 on each can as the latter is moved downwardly by belt 25 and as the can is rotated against one of the side walls 6 upon being so moved.

A conventional can feeder feeds the cans, on their sides, in spaced relation, into the upper open end of the lid applying portion of the machine, a part of the feed device being generally designated 45 (FIG. 1) and after the lids 11 are applied the cans roll away from thelower end of the lid-applying portion in any conventional support generally designated 46.

The circular plastic lids on rollers 10 may be properly described as being in coaxial nested interengaging relation in a row movable in one direction in a path axially of said row with their can-receivingflanges in leading relation. The lids are rotated in one direction about the axis of the row.

The paths of travel of the lids and cans intersect each other at a point therealong at an obtuse angle. of. about to degrees in their direction of movement to said point, and said paths are in a common plane, so. that the flange on the leading lid at the side of its axis in the direction of movement of the cans will be adapted to engage the leading side of the end of a can moving in its path, and such can is guided so such engagement will occur, with the result that the leading lid is pulled or positively drawn oil the end of the row of lids and moves with the can in the path of the can free from any special dispensing means. The row of cams then moves axially thereof the overall thickness of a lid so that the next leading lid will be positioned for removal by the next can, but it is releasably held so that direct and positive removal by the next can is required.

After a lid is taken off the end of the row of lids by one of the cans, it is progressively rolled onto the can, since the lid and can are not only bodily moved together in the path of the can, but the lid so removed and the can are rotated in the same direction.

By this method, and by the apparatus disclosed, over three hundred can lids may be readily, accurately, and positively placed on cans as distinguished from the much slower and uncertain method requiring an intermediate dispensing means to free the leading lid from a row and then move it to a position for engaging the end of the can to which it is to be applied.

The flanges 38 on rollers 36, 37 and the roller portions provide movable surfaces for engaging the successive end lids 11 of the row on rollers 10, and they are preferable, but it is obvious in view of the fractional part of a second that the end lid engages these rollers and flanges before being removed, that they could be stationary, and the lids would still rotate with and under the influance of the can upon the lid engaging a can.

It is to be understood that changes, modifications, and substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. The method of applying circular flexible plastic lids onto one of the ends of cylindrical cans, which lids are coaxial in a row in nested interengaging relation and each of which lids has an annular axially projecting can engaging flange on one side facing in the same direction in such row for providing an end lid at one end of said row with its flange projecting axially outwardly of said row, comprising the steps of:

(a) supporting said row of lids and said cans for movement in separate paths of travel intersecting at an obtuse angle at a point along said paths with the axes of said cans substantially at said point being in the same vertical plane as the axis of said row of lids with said flanges on said lids facing said path of movement of said cans,

(b) moving said cans, in spaced succession in their said path across the end of said row of lids at said point,

(c) guiding the leading side of one end of each can during said movement of the latter into the area enclosed by the flange of the leading end lid of said row thereof that is positioned at the side of the axis of said lid in the direction of movement of said can, and into engagement with said flange at said side and past said path of movement of said lids thereby positively moving said end lid transversely of the axis of said row from the end of the latter with said lid extending over said one end of said can, under the influence of movement of said can, in the path of travel of the latter.

2. In the method as defined in claim 1:

(d) rotating said row of lids and said can about their respective axes in the same direction during movement of said end lid with said can for rolling said lid onto said can.

3. In the method as defined in claim 2:

(e) moving the said row of lids axially thereof, after removal of the leading end lid by a can, to a position for engagement of the flange of the next succeeding can, and

(f) progressively forcing the flange on each lid so removed from the row of the latter fully onto the can in engagement with the inside of such can while continuing movement of said latter can in its path, and at the same time releasably holding the following end lid against movement from said row of lids during rotation thereof about its axis.

4. In the method as defined in claim 3:

(g) said obtuse angle being approximately to degrees, and

(h) said row of lids being inclined downwardly to said point relative to horizontal.

5. In a machine for applying circular, flexible, plastic lids onto one of the ends of cylindrical cans, which lids are coaxial in a row in nested, interengaging relation and each of which has a annular axially projecting flange on one side facing in the same direction in the row to provide an end lid at one end of the row having its flange projecting axially outwardly of the row:

(a) a pair of guide means for respectively supporting a row of said lids for movement in one direction in a path extending axially of said row, and for supporting cylindrical can for movement in one direction in a path intercepting said path of movement of said lids at an obtuse angle at a point in said paths with the flanges on said lids facing said point,

(b) positioning means for positioning said guide means for movement of the leading side of each can at said one of its ends to within the area enclosed by said end flange of the leading lid and against the inner side of said end flange at said leading side during movement of each can in its said path in said one direction for moving said end lid off the leading end of said row transversely of said row with said can in the path of the latter,

(c) can engaging means for positively moving said cans in said one direction to a position in which said leading side of each can will be moved into said area enclosed by each flange and for rolling said cans about their axes during said movement.

6. In a machine as defined in claim 5:

(d) means for releasably holding said end lid against movement in the path of said can until the flange on said end lid is engaged by one of the ends of a can moving in the path of the latter.

7. In a machine as defined in claim 5:

(d) said guide means for said lids comprising a pair of elongated lid-supporting rollers in side-by-side relation and means connected with said rollers for rotating them in the same direction and for rotating said lids in the same direction as said cans,

(e) means in engagement with the axially facing surface of the flange in the end lid in said row of lids for rotatably holding said row of lids against axial movement during movement of one end of a can into engagement with the flange on said end lid and during rotation of said lids.

8. In a machine as defined in claim 7:

(f) said rollers extending generally horizontally, but inclined slightly downwardly in a direction toward the guide means for said cans, and said guide means for supporting said cans being elongated and extending generally vertically relative to horizontal but at said obtuse angle relative to said rollers,

(g) said can-engaging means being an endless belt parallel with the guide means for supporting said cans, and means for positioning said belt for engagement with one of the sides of said cans adjacent to the said one of the ends of the latter.

9. In a machine as defined in claim 8:

(h) said pair of lid-supporting rollers being spaced apart for engaging the outer peripheries of said lids at points spaced a substantial distance below the axis of the lids of said row thereof and terminating 1 ing rollers for 'said cans below said lid-supporting at their lower ends at said guide means for said cans, rollers for engagement with the axially facing side (i) a pair of holding rollers at said guide means spaced of each lid opposite to the flange therein upon each above said lid-supporting rollers for rotatably engagleading lid in said'row thereof being moved downing the axially facing surface of the end lid of Said 5 wardly from the leading end of said row, and row thereof and for engaging the radially outwardly (k) auxiliary guide means between the terminal lower facing surface of said end lid at a level above ends of said lid-supporting rollers and said lidthe points of engagement between said lid-supporting pressing rollers for guiding the leading lid of said rollers and said lids but below the axis of said end row downwardly from the leading end of said row lid whereby said end lid cannot freely fall between 10 to said lid-pressing rollers. said holding rollers when said end lid is in engagea I ment therewith References Cited 10. In a machine as defined in claim 5: UNITED STATES PATENTS (d) a lid engaging roller below the point of intersection between said paths for rotatably engaging the 15 axially facing side of a lid moved from said row 7 thereof by a can for pressing said lid onto said can i during movement of said lid with said can. WILLIAM BROOKS Pnmary Examiner 11. In a machine as defined in claim 9: r U S C1 X R (j) a vertically extending row of horizontally disposed, 20 1 lid-pressing rollers substantially in downward exten- 29' 208, 2 313 sion of said guide means and below said lid-support- 3,382,646 5/ 1968 Leudtke et al. 3,415,034 12/1968 Schmitt. 

